Bingo, they are making the choices that are making hte ngiht elve so silly, all the things we’ve spoken about are in game, the narrative isn’t allowing it - it’s the narrative that writes them lame and weak, it’s the narrative that puts them as whipping boys, it’s the narrative that writes their city over ott he other faction afteer it’s design, it’s the narrative that doesn’t give them urban visuals, and the narrative that only quests druids, with nearly nothing for Moon priestesses, Mages, demon hunters, Rogues, Wardens etc.
It seems lazy, like a dev comes in, doens’t know anything about night elves annd does that, or more likely, they just don’t do much about the racem, and decide they 'd go two for one, so when they do druid stuff htey also do night elf stuff, so they don’t have to do the other bits
Take a look at the Suramar, it’s been so detached from nelfs that even their buildings have changed to reflect nightbourne and their bubble civilization. You complain about nelfs not being who they are made out to be in the novels, which I don’t even know what you mean because I never saw it that way. The image you people have formed about the nelfs being so detached from any lore source wherever it may come from. So yeah, that’s why I find contradictions in your arguments.
Kind of like you complain about the Horde having a city they don’t actually have saying it’s somehow bumming you out and keeping you from enjoying your new city that hasn’t even been released yet and is still being created as we speak. I really don’t know what to say to that. Teach yourself to enjoy things without constantly looking over the fense. That’s what I do. That’s probably what the whole Horde does.
You know, I didn’t want to say this but really, you people keep saying that the story is the worse thing that happened to nelf. I disagree. It’s fans like you that’s the worse thing that could happen to nelfs. Never pleased always complaining about what other people get. If it were up to you people nothing else would exist.
But seriously. You think they plan in advance? I don’t believe that. I think they’re writing for this game like a GM that is 100% winging it with improv. And it shows.
Their buildings changed? their buildings haven’t changed 1 iota in 10,000 years Nor has their culture - the quests literally they they have preserved this for pristinely for 10k years - they love their traditions… when Thalyssra joins the horde, she comments they have been stagnant and need to move on - whether this is to indicate they are now moving away from their kaldorei roots or form just been there.
The entire purpose of the story is to that explains their level of addiction is because of relying on the Nightwell even supplement food and clothing - because natural resources are highly limited.
The cinematic they show you, shows the exact same city too, 10,000 years ago at the time of the first invasion when the legion tried to break through from the Cathedral - that is the battle that Tyrande’s predecessor dies and she gains the mantle of high priestess, and where Elisande also rebels against the queen.
This is all night elf lore, and we are all familiar iwth it, go see the Chornicles Volume 1 secion on the Night elves, and the part for Suramar and the Nightborne. It isn’t blood elf lore or any other race lore.
I don’t think you are understanding what people want and why. IF the lore paints a picture about the elves, past or present, people get attached to it and want to see it.
You are literally saying because the l ore describes a night elven civilization, people are detached for wanting it, because it doesn’t fit with the rural image you get to see in -game?
Never occurred to you that people would want to see more than the rural image especially after reading the night elves having more right? Sigh. But no, they are detached because they want more in game from what they read and played in WC3.
You also going to say they are detached for wanting to see Tyrande or Malfurion, or the Highborne and Moonguard or other characters in the books of the past or games of the past whether in the War of the Ancients, or in warcraft 3 from being badass and effective because it is in the past… so we are detached because we want to see the cool things and cool action and power we read about the night elves having in the novel in game.
No, you are just seeing the villages and forests, and you have no consideration or care for people whoa re actually fans of the race and want more for it. If you are satisfied with the rustic in other words rural side of the night elves, then be happy with it, and go play the night elves your favourite race - oh wait, you don’t, does any of their fantasy interest you? or are you just making excuses and telling fans, be happy for only a slice of the pie available in game to your faction - cool night elves and majestic night elves, badass night elves and civilization night elves, those are only for the horde or neutral parties or for the books or for their past.
Truth is it’s not just the night elf fans that are disappointed, many others find it underwhelming, expected more, the NElf fans are just the most vocal about it. Forest hippies and peace kumbaya is not enough to carry a whole race, and is insufficient for the epic feel they are use to. It’s excellent as part of a more balanced picture especially hen lore and past experiences paint a lot better -
Is this showing of night elves gonna draw more subscriptions, or make the existing player base really excited about the game through this race? Want to play more , make more night elves, subscribe longer, and then tell their friends who’ve quit or new friends to come play because they can’t put it down because they’re just finding it so cool.? This is what you want, night elves not being cool may not affect non-night elf fans much, but being incredible will actually make the game more attractive to all. Blood elf fans may consider playing a night elf toon now, and falling in love with them in addition to blood elves, causing them to play more, and subscribe more… this is what you gain… and when its cool, they will talk about it on forums, on discord, on chats, and be excited even though nothing of the gameplay has changed. They’ll go out and go buy War of the Ancients and Stormrage and read about those amazing events.
These are not for their present, so you fans have no right to want them, and if you would like to see them, you are detached.
Well War of the ancients trilogy, Stormrage, Wolfheart, Illidan the novels all are speaking to you an d asking where are these night elves? Why is Darnassus destroyed, but Suramar created and denied to the night elves? Why is all the action in the books or in neutral groups?
And you wonder why night elf fans aren’t happy,
The complaint is not about the horde having a city, it’s about the night elves not having one. And not having a truly amazing one from their lore.
Or did you forget that one is where most of the night elf faction you play comes from? It was made because of them, so naturally , especially when it’s that good, players of night elves want it or similar on their side.
I do, have you not seeing me say I think Amirdrassil is beautiful and the zone lovely - but that’s not the point I am trying to make here, we want more for the race, it’s not enough.
You also have a point that more might be coming, but surely you don’t have to have me go back into the past and how many times we have been told that line.
Honestly, you are correct in saying it’s not good or healthy to be looking over the fence all the time, but that’s not what is happening here at all, I am using the horde to help highlight the lack, the basis of our grievance is the poor showing of night elves in the game, compared to WC3 and the novels. off course it doesn’t help if they give the horde really fancy night elven stuff but don’t give the main race, but hat isn’t the point. Suramar was looked forward to because it is night elves from the lore and part of of the cool things associated with night elves, so we want to see more of it.
We want to see Tyrande, Malfurion, The Moonguard, Highborne, Sentinels, Druids, Wardens, Illidan, Demon hunters, being as cool and powerful as they are in War of the ancients, Stormrage novels, Wc3 game, Wolfheart novel, Illidan novel - we don’t care that these are all in the past, these were cool, we would like to see that stuff for night elves.
We at least have something to refer to, - we know blizzard can make cool stuff for night elves, it’s why we like the race, so why can’t it come in game for the playable faction? why must it always be killed night elves, broken night elves, ruined cities and devastated forests? Looking weak etc.
That isn’t a very nice thing to say… you know they are fans because they enjoyed the story and they enjoyed the race from before.
We found the night elves in Wc3 and war of the ancients, then subsequent books really cool… why do you think I stayed with the race and didn’t quit even though wow’s portrayal was so partial - good in one half, none existent in the other? Because the books kept coming out with cool stuff
Everything about Suramar is night elven, we want it because it is night elven and it’s beautifully/cool so, not because the horde have it. That the horde were given it was …disheartening and felt like a stab in the back, but only because the night elves were left without a great city too, despite having such a lovely one from the lore.
Do you not see it now? In the lore and Wc3, it’s a different night elf, in -game it’s like so much done to not make them look special. I use to think it was because they wanted the horde played, so suppressed many alliance races… but by WoD the horde was well ahead in population… we thought legion was a changing point, but they weren’t that good to the alliance - however I have noticed a change… Dazar’alor was the first time the alliance ever looked good against the horde in game, 8.1 win Darkshore cinematic and quest was the first we’ve seen Malfurion and Tyrande really look cool in game - and that was specific night elf playable faction
Legion had many cool things for night elves the first since classic’s launch, but those factions were neutral orientated -s o while nice, there was feeling that it wasn’t for the night elves we play, - and Suramar and the Nightborne going horde just drove that in.
you are judging me, and you have no right to. You have not seen all the posts I’ve made, and the praises I’ve given when I thought things were good, gave a lot in praise in Legion, but as much as I praise I will also raise issues with things that I felt were not up to par and didn’t do the night elves justice - - like the 6.0 player model revamp, the lack of night elf assets in game from their civilization side, the poor showing of the fierce combat side of the night elves we saw in WC3 and the epic cool stuff from them in most of the books - not seen in game.
Even in the space of this topic, I have highlighted things I have liked while pointing out things I haven’t and stating things I would like to see, if you can only see the complaint but not the issue or the praise, then you aren’t being fair or just in your judgement.
When I point to the blood elves and the treatment they got, I’m not wanting what the blood elves have, but illustrating that look, hey, they got Quel’thalas back, they got restored and they’ve been badass since, every portrayal of in-game blood elves has been good, they have not been push overs and have been not only holding their own but seriously dishing it out to others - that is good portrayal… they got their forest, their city, their Sunwell all back new and improved. the equivalent for night elves would be getting their forest, their city, their tree and their Well of Eternity/Moonwells all back new and improved with enhancements. so far, we only got the Elune enhancement via the night warrior… Amirdrassil has come back so we got a tree home, cool, where is the lovely city though, what about the Well of Eternity and enhancements?
The expectation for the night elves is epic, because in the lore they are an epic race… you can’t fault players for wanting to see that in game. I’m sorry, but you just can’t. And the comparison to Blood elves is not based on coveting, it’s showing you the standard fans expect especially because we’ve rad of night elves displaying such high standards an seen them at such high levels in action Wc3, War of the Ancients trilogy , Stormrage, Illidan, Wolfheart novels etc)
If that’s the case, then you should raise it to blizzard for mis-selling the race to the fans, for making them attractive only in past products like Wc3 and the novels, but expecting them to play wow for night elves that just don’t seem to show up like they do in other material or have that stunning completeness the lore attributes.
That’s all well and good; however I was primarily talking about the High Elves being the far bigger race and Void Elves having a narrative issue, because they were made up in somebody’s garden shed, 3 months before release.
Alliance fanbase were NOT going nuts for the Nightborne. That’s fact and neither was the Horde…the only thing being mentioned was how the arcane magical addiction between Blood Elves and Nightborne.
The Alliance, considering the Hunter Order Hall, Mage Order Hall, Argus, Suramar as well as everything prior like the Isle of Thunder, wanted High Elves.
I wanted High Elves. Shandaral and Crystalsong would have been perfect for them. But, Blizzard went with the narrative problem of the Void Elves that had no connection to anything - not even to the faction that was required to unlock them.
Remember that concept art of a city build onto a world tree? With terraces winding upwards and branching out and about in sling of magical light? With mighty temples and forts overlooking the branches below, lit by the evening sun and the glow of dusk? And waterfalls running along the bark down into the sea? and truly making the place look magical and elven?
Where is that? What is this? They rebuilt Auberdine but on the Emo Islands? Is every NPC there a fishing trainer or a life coach?
So there were 200 comments left, before I write this, so I don’t know anyone mention these.
First of all, this is a huge disappointment. And not because of the curernt state of the architecture, but the whole concept of it.
The night elves are forest people, this is a plain. but this is just the smaller part of the problem. The bigger issue is the problem of the lore fantasy and the geopolitical consequences moving the night elf race from Kalimdor to the Dragon Isles. Their home is Kalimdor. Period. They have no roots (pun intended) in the new place. It feel weird, and alienating.
The other issue is the ingame (geo)politic, that it will cause. Yes, you can say there are no central night elf capital in Kalimdor since BfA, but now permananetly never will be. Now imagine, if your capital is on a whole new continent, how much power xan you show in your old territorries, vs your opponents, who’s central still in Kalimdor. If the horde leaders see this permanent change, that there are no major forces in Kalimdor from the Alliance, what will stop them to move into former night elf territories and rob the land from it’s natural resources, as they were doing in Ashenvale, for example.
All these decisions seem to lead to a polarisation of power with Kalimor being horde, Eastern Kingdoms being Alliance. at least in terms of the centrum of power. But obviously it’s misleading, since the forsaken are getting back their capitol, Silvermoon city was always a strong Horde anchor point, yes, ofc Alliance loose, again.
To summ it up, this path is a total mess, and don’t give any sense of relief, or justification to the night elf faction. The writers are seem so obessed featuring their own work, that they ignore the 4 most valid place for the new world tree: Darkshore, Ashenvale, Feralas, or Mount Hyjal. Any of thes 4 zones would been far better choice of location. It would been a nice gesture towards the past, not cutting off all night elf lore; but also a begining as a new chapter of their story the same time.
Rest in piece, old lore and immersion of Warcraft!
Last sentence is spot on. It’s rather self-worship than worship of any original idea of profound WoW lore that got them their job in the first place. With all the negative elements they’ve been trying so desperately to erase linking to abusive former team members, they’ve missed out on one particularly: self-inserts.
Some might argue that if you think that way, you’d need to critisize Metzen also for his Thrall-insert. But they forget one essential difference here. Metzen is an original creator of this game. Junior developers and writers are not. Their “signature” in the game world is not earned neither is it what intrigues the customers.
This entire plot makes Night Elves seem weak and in need of protection by the aspects. They are ridiculing the entire existence of Night Elves. And then you have some malicious minds claiming NE players should be content with what they’ve got and that everything is fine because Night Elves are “tree people” anyways and the design of “den city” totally fits their aesthetic. Might I remember you that Thalyssra herself called Suramar “Jewel of the Night Elf empire” when she introduced us to her story? She didn’t say Nightborne or Highborne, you know?
Those voices claiming that Night Elf players “should get over it” are gaslighters at best. And they can talk that condescending only because it wasn’t their favourite race whose lore and image got sacrificed for mediocre “revamp” and Sylvanas portrayal. In that context I find it pretty bold when Sylvanas fans call Night Elves whining while shipping a banshee queen. Mythologically literally the queen of whining, lamenting and mourning with the last tears she cried branded under her eyes like an emo edgelord.
There are many people, who started playing World of Warcraft due to the Night Elf aesthetic and everything they’ve embodied long before a healthy bunch of those, who don’t care even knew how to use a pc. And they stayed, despite all the damage done, lore ruined and humiliation applied to their favourite race. They stayed for nothing but the benefit of the doubt that “we are listening now” meant, they will make things right. They didn’t. They’ve alienated KALdorei from their homeland, KALimdor and let the Horde be the only faction with two capitals on the continent. There is no greater insult they could’ve come up with. Except MAYBE making the new Kaldorei capital welcoming horde players. Oh, wait!
It’s tactless and it’s tasteless. And I would not be surprised if that will become the straw that broke the camel’s back for a lot of Night Elf players to make their final decision that it is, in fact NOT the time to “come home”.
Thanks. Had to deal with some vivid thoughts about a starfall raining down on Silvermoon and Undercity with orbit breaker dropping a full moon as shiny cherry on top after every 30th shooting star…
I had thoughts about some students of Malfurion trained within the dream, who haven’t left it until that very moment Teldrassil got destroyed. It was the first glimpse of “the real world” they had since the ending of the war of the ancients after having their sleep in a nearby cave interrupted by the happenings. Werecats and wereowls as addition to worgen sort of were the result of this thought process.
I’ve already cancelled my monthly subscription since I’ll most likely go over to a more casual gaming pattern with gap months after I’ve geared up again. I had a 7 years long pause after Wrath already because that was the first time I absolutely didn’t like the course the game was taking. Came back during Legion, which was great but I was a bit late to the party, so I’ve been playing the content through while BfA was already happening. Until I caught up, it was already the end of BfA and being the medieval and pirate fan I am, Kul’Tiras made me stay despite the already pretty offputting narrative around Night Elves. Come Shadowlands, Ardenweald and Revendreth were the reasons I held on, hoping they’d change their silly new approach and since they sounded pretty remorseful I reversed my cancellation of subscriptions after not playing towards the end of the expansion for about half a year. My consistency in playing stuck at least two times since then, so me staying for further underwhelming narrative is rather unlikely
That would be interesting to see.
How about you apply for writing team in WoW? We as Night Elfs need an ally there
Same. 8 days left.
then no money for blizz from me until 10.2.5 release and I see if Bel’ameth will be neutral or not. If it stays, back to WC3, Heroes of Might And Magic, Disciples, Age of Wonders Rome total war both 1 and 2. for me.
Gonna be done with MMORPG games, not that I played any except WoW
Waited way too long to be slapped in the face like this.
I believe you